A distributing device of this type is known, for example, from British patent number 1360230.
Closures such as lids and caps for containers such as bottles and jars, for example made of aluminium, etc., are generally punched from a band or strip in a press, after which the punched-out closures, possibly with pull lip, are fed via a supply line to (aseptic) filling devices in which containers, such as bottles, jars, cans, etc., filled with free-flowing products, especially fluid food products with a limited shelf life, are closed off with the supplied closures. The closure may or may not be sterilized beforehand. Based on economic considerations, it is favourable to produce the closures on one press and then guide them, via a supply line, in the direction of the filling device. A filling device generally comprises a plurality of parallel filling lines, each with its own filling bay. In a filling line, containers are fed to the particular filling bay, then filled with the product to be dispensed and afterwards closed off with the closures. This means that, from one supply line, the closures are distributed over the different filling lines with the aid of a distributing device.
In the case of the distributing device known from the aforementioned British patent specification, the closures are supplied via a main chute, which is disposed obliquely relative to the horizontal plane. The main chute comprises, in the bottommost portion thereof, supporting means, on which the closures rest. These supporting means are located above pass-through openings in the bottom of the main chute, which pass-through openings are arranged above the top ends of a number of manufacturing lines. These manufacturing lines adjoin the filling bays, where the closures are fitted onto filled containers. The supporting means are movably disposed. By allowing the supporting means to move, either simultaneously for the simultaneous filling of all manufacturing lines or separately for the filling of one manufacturing line, a closure falls in the particular position out of the main chute through the pass-through opening into the particular manufacturing line.
A drawback of this known device is that when the last manufacturing line, which is fed via the last (or bottommost) pass-through opening of the main chute, has to be operated, the closures need to cover a relatively large distance, with the result that the capacity of this known distributing device for the manufacture of closures is low. Moreover, the supporting means are rotatably disposed. In this technical field, however, rotation motions are undesirable.
JP-A-60228035 discloses a feed device for supplying (component) parts to a receiving device, the parts being distributed from a supply line over two manufacturing lines with the aid of a distributing valve. The distributing valve can be moved to and fro in the longitudinal plane of the lines with the aid of a displacement mechanism. Furthermore, this valve is provided with a pair of guideways, each with its own entrance and exit, which are mutually connected by means of a passage. This passage may only contain one (component) part. During operation, there is no direct passage from the outlet of the supply line, via the entrance, passage and exit of the valve, to the feed-in of the manufacturing line. This device is relatively slow and not suitable for use as a device for distributing closures over a plurality of filling lines.
JP-A-61150919 discloses a similar feed device, in which a valve, which can likewise be moved to and fro in the longitudinal plane of the lines, is used. This valve comprises a pair of guideways, each with its own entrance and exit, which are mutually connected by means of a passage. The guideway is shaped such that, during operation, a direct feed-through is possible from the supply line to the particular manufacturing line.
From FR-A-2596311, furthermore, a distributing device is known in which a rotary disc is used. The rotary disc is provided with guideways, each with its own entrance and exit, which are mutually connected by means of a passage. Rotary components are undesirable, however, in the use of a distributing device in filling lines, owing to relatively significant wear, accompanying maintenance and susceptibility to breakdowns.
According to yet another prior art which is known within the trade, rotatable “flippers” are used, which are disposed at the end of the supply line to distribute the delivered closures over the manufacturing lines. The rotatability of such flippers is undesirable. Owing to the required positioning accuracy, it is not generally possible, moreover, to operate more than two manufacturing lines using one set of such flippers.